Ribbon soap



June 4, 1940. c T WALTER 2,202,974

RIBBON SOAP Filed Dec. 8, 1937 ATTORNEY device.

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES RIBBON SOAP Charles T. Walter,

dustrial Patents C'or Chicago, Ill., assigner to Inpora'tion, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Delaware Application December 8,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a new soap product.

This application is a continuation in part of my application entitled Soap product, Serial No. 92,105, filed July 23, 1936, which application Serial No. 92,105 is a continuation in part of my application entitled Soap product and method of making the same, Serial No. 703,350, filed December 21, 1933.

One of the -objects of the present invention is to provide a new soap product of desirable form which is very readily soluble in-water.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claim which follow.

The product of the present invention is exemplied in the annexed drawing.

The preferred method of manufacturing the soap product of the present invention is to start with a hot liquid soap having a temperature of approximately 180 F. At this temperaturathe soap stock is a liquid and flows readily through pipes by gravity or under the' influence of pump pressure.

This liquid soap stock is picked up by a suitable pump and caused to flow under pressure through a suitable filter device for removing small particles of dirt or bres which frequently find their way into the soap mixture. From the filtering -device the soap stock is passed through a suitable heat exchanger which removes the sensible heat and latent heat of fusion and brings about a congealing action. The temperature of the soap leaving the cooler may be any convenient desired degree, a temperature of '70 F. being satisfactory. I have found that a temperature of 90 F. permits the production of a satisfactory product.

As the soap leaves the heat exchanger, it is in a stiff plastic condition. It will flow through pipes and other conduits under sufficiently great pressure. It can be forced through a ne mesh filter screen in this condition, and I have found it expedient to subject the material to a secondary filtering operation at this stage in order to insure that no solid particles of substantial size remain in the mass as it ows to the forming Any suitable forming device may be employed in producing the new ribbon soap of the VVpresent invention. A suitable extrusion device is described and claimed'in my patent entitled Extruson device, granted yJune 9, 1936, No. 2,043,682.

In forming the product of the present invenlion, the soap stock is passed from an extrusion device under pressure in the manner described in my patent lentitled Method of making tube soap, granted June 9, 1936, No. 2,043,685.

1937, Serial No. 178,780

A suitable device is an extrusion device having an orifice with a central rotating breather pin. The soap stock is extruded in the form of a thinwalled tube and a vacuum of about three-fourths inch of water is drawn on the breather opening, which fully collapses the tube and forms a substantially flat ribbon, which may be dried and cut into short lengths. This vacuum fully collapses the tube, and the substantially flat ribbon formed hasy a continuous smooth surface having arcuate edges.

Obviously the ribbon would be twice as thick as the single tube from which it is prepared. Consequently, a tube with walls .0045 inch in thickness would collapse to a ribbon .009 inch in thickness.

The ribbon soap may be passed through a heated extrusion nozzle in order to secure a glossy, milled appearance. In applying the glossy finish, the material at the point of extrusion of the soap stock is heated to a temperature of from 160 to 180 F. The action of the heated nozzle seems to produce a very thin film of soap being heated and probably melted. The depth of this heating effect is not sufficient to materially affect the strength of the finished soap ribbon. After being in contact with the cool air for a few seconds after leaving the extrusion die, the more or less molten outside film or skin solidies into a smooth, glossy surface. which is thereafter retained indefinitely.

.An extrusion die nozzle may be heated by means of a hot Water jacket aroundits lower end, which provides suficient heat to the apparatus to compensate for the heat removed by the flowing stream of soap passing through such a device. If the soap stock is extruded at atmospheric temperature, a suede finish common in soap products is secured. If the soap stock is one containing ller, the heat treatment develops in the finished product a gloss like that of milled soap not containing filler.

After the ribbon soap is formed, it is received upon a drying conveyor, which may be of the type shown in my patent entitled Drier conveyor, -granted June 9, 1936, No. 2,043,681. After the ribbons are partially dried, they are passed through a cutting device which may consist of a plain roller having a smooth machined surface adapted to engage with a second roller carrying a series of knife edges. From this cutting device the soap ribbons are discharged in the form of small, short ribbon like elements, which upor completion of drying are ready for packaging.

The present invention is concerned with rela-- tively thin ribbons, that is, ribbons having a thickness of the order of below .18 inch. The preferred thickness is .09 inch. The preferred length of ribbons which make up the mass is from one-fourth inch to ve-eighths inch.

The ribbon soap product produced in accordance with the present invention is made of component particles which are collapsed soap tubes with a continuous smooth surface, having arcuate edges. 'Ihe component particles are suiciently large to readily appear to the eye as individually distinct particles of reasonably uniform size and shape, and suniciently small to constitute necessarily a bulk soap product of such character that the component particles are used in mass rather than as separate entities, and consist of a collapsed soap tube solidified into a characteristic arcuate edged ribbon, whereby chipping at the edges and the consequent production of dust-like matter is obviated, in which product the individual particles comprise appreciable amounts of soap, so that the respective particles are individually distinct bodies, capable of ready, independent, relative movement and readily separated upon introduction into water. The particles are capable of attaining practically immediate contact with water upon being dropped upon the surface thereof, and of maintaining 'their independent identity without sticking together to form masses of undissolved soap. The individual particles are large considering the amount of soap contained therein', and they thereby present an available surface area which is large relative to the amount of soap in the particle, whereby the soap product is free from any substantially characterizing amount of powder or dust-like matter, is soluble with particular readiness, speed, and completeness, and is characterized by a total absence of any tendency to form lumps, balls, or spots of soap undissolved in washing.

I claim:

A ribbon soap product in which the component particles are collapsed soap tubes with a continuously smooth surface, having arcuate edges, sufficiently large to readily appear to the eye as individually distinct particles of reasonably uniform size and shape, and suiiciently small to constitute necessarily a bulk soap product of such character that the component particles are used in mass rather than as separate entites, and consist of a collapsed soap tube solidied into a characteristic arcuate edged ribbon, whereby chipping at the edges and the consequent production of dust-like matter is obviated, in which product the individual particles comprise appreciable amounts of soap so that the respective particles are individually distinct bodies capable of ready, independent, relative movement and ready separation upon introduction into water, are capable of attaining practically immediate contact with water upon being dropped upon the surface thereof, and of maintaining their independent identity Without sticking together to form masses of undissolved soap, and are large considering the amount of soap contained therein to thereby present an available surface area which is large relative to the amount of soap in the particle, whereby the soap product is free from any substantial characterizing amount of powder or dust-like matter, is soluble with particular readiness, speed and completeness, and is characterized by a total absence of any tendency to form lumps, balls or spots of undissolved soap in washing.

CHARLES T. WALTER. 

